1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3832

Qu Deren's view was actually correct. After Qin Jian was promoted several times, he did indeed have some thoughts of giving up.

He knew he wasn't from a Haihan family and didn't have much education. Given his age, being able to work as a civil affairs official in Nanjing, managing miscellaneous tasks and overseeing a few lucrative long-term projects, was basically the limit of his career.

Given his qualifications, if he wanted to continue climbing the ranks in officialdom, he would either need to perform an extraordinary feat that would attract the attention of the Executive Committee, or marry a high-ranking official from the Haihan regime and gain additional support. However, it was clear that neither of these paths was viable for him.

Being a landlord who collects rent without lifting a finger is incredibly easy for Qin Jian now. He has even acquired a sizable farm a few miles east of Yanziji, with over forty tenant farmers who cultivate the land and raise livestock for him. The output from the farm's several hundred acres is enough to ensure a comfortable lifestyle for the rest of his life.

But Qin Jian recently realized that everything he had gained in recent years was because he was a useful person to Hai Han and had contributed to Hai Han's consolidation of rule in Nanjing, which was why he received these excessive rewards.

But if one day he stops working for the government, his special value will quickly diminish, and his children may not be able to inherit his best skills; they may only be able to stay on the farm and collect rent.

However, during the change of ownership of Yingtian Prefecture, Qin Jian had witnessed far too many landlords having all their valuables swept away by mutinous soldiers in just a few days. Even those whose wealth was several times greater than his own had suffered the loss of their families and lives. Those wealthy landlords who fled to Nanjing were, in fact, no different from ordinary refugees.

After much deliberation, Qin Jian felt he couldn't just give up. Even if he couldn't lead his descendants into officialdom, he should at least pave the way and ensure they had an excellent family background.

Fortunately, he had not yet left officialdom, and with the resources and connections he currently possessed, it would not be difficult for him to secure some opportunities to make a name for himself.

For example, right now, such an opportunity has come knocking on our door.

Although Qu Deren was unaware of Qin Jian's thought process, he had experienced a similar development process and therefore agreed with his explanation.

The two were relatives who had looked after each other during the chaotic years and had both made a name for themselves; they trusted each other implicitly. Qu Deren then asked Qin Jian if he had any specific plans.

Qin Jian pondered for a moment and said, "In my opinion, this matter should be handled from two perspectives. I will do my best to complete the task assigned by General Shi, while you try to find out the true purpose of the higher-ups in collecting this intelligence. Only by knowing what the higher-ups' goal is can we do this job better."

After seeing Qu Deren off, Qin Jian sat alone in thought for a long time before summoning his subordinates to convey his instructions: "Write a few invitations for me; I want to host a banquet!"

He then named several boat captains and merchants who frequently traveled between Haihan and Daming. He planned to first make small-scale contact with some people he was familiar with to find out if there were any unusual changes on the Daming side.

The invited guests arrived at the restaurant Qin Jian had chosen that evening.

To these people, Qin Jian, though not a high-ranking official, truly controlled the shipping resources of Yanziji Wharf. Anyone wanting to conduct shipping business through Yanziji Wharf needed to cultivate a good relationship with Qin Jian.

Normally, it was the businessmen who hosted banquets for Qin Jian, this local bigwig, but this was the first time Qin Jian had taken the initiative to host a feast for them. The invited guests were puzzled, but they still prepared gifts, intending to take advantage of this rare opportunity to further cultivate their relationship with Qin Jian.

After a few rounds of drinks, Qin Jian took the initiative to explain the purpose of the meeting: "I've invited you all here today because I have some inside information to share. What we discuss here must not be divulged outside this room. Please remember that!"

Seeing his serious expression, everyone quickly nodded in agreement.

In fact, Qin Jian didn't expect these people to keep the secret. Even if they told others, or even their backers, after they left, it didn't matter, because there was no inside information at all. It was just false information that Qin Jian made up to test them.

Qin Jian solemnly said, "As you all know, Yanziji Wharf is more prosperous than before, but the berths are becoming increasingly scarce, and the berthing rules may need to be adjusted. Moreover, the government plans to transfer able-bodied men from the wharf to fill the militia positions, so the time and cost of loading and unloading goods will likely increase in the future!"

Notices recruiting militia for the Haihan Army have already been posted at Yanziji Wharf, and several people present have seen them. This is not just Qin Jian making things up; there is indeed solid evidence. As for the matter of adjusting the berth rules, that was purely something he made up on the spur of the moment.

With such a mix of truth and falsehood, it's difficult for others to distinguish the genuine from the fake when he speaks.

Immediately, someone hurriedly asked, "Lord Qin, could you explain in detail how this adjustment should be made?"

Qin Jian smiled and said, "In the past, the dock arranged berths on a first-come, first-served basis. If it happened to be during the peak season, it was common to wait three to five days for a berth. But in the future, we may give priority to ships with strength and background to dock and load and unload cargo."

Qin Jian looked at everyone present and said, "As far as I know, you all have some background and connections in the Ming Dynasty. We are happy to cooperate with powerful businesses and offer better treatment. However, whether you can obtain the corresponding qualifications depends on the specific circumstances of each company... Do you all understand what I mean?"

At that moment, someone misunderstood Qin Jian's meaning: "Lord Qin, how much does it cost for one of these special privileges?"

Qin Jian feigned anger and said, "If I wanted to make some extra money, I would have just asked. Why would I need to come up with such an excuse? This is a matter of government affairs, not something I, Qin Jian, can decide. Do you understand?"

Qin Jian's outburst left everyone bewildered. If he wasn't after money, what was his purpose in gathering everyone here to announce this?

Qin Jian quickly revealed the answer himself: "Whether this adjustment is feasible is still under discussion within the government, so we need to know exactly how many merchants deserve our special treatment."

"Only after obtaining relevant information can the government decide whether to make such adjustments and how to arrange the implementation details."

"Everyone, let me say it again: whether you are qualified or not depends on whether you have the corresponding strength. This strength does not refer to buying qualifications with money, but rather to how much influence you have in the Ming Dynasty."